Human-animal Hybrids?

[Ironhorse]

Heh. Considering its the British, we all know how this is going to end. Room 101 anyone?

[CNash]

Not Dr. Marvin Monroe, surely?

"I?m as sure of it as I?m sure my voice is annoying!"

(Dr. Moreau, BTW)

[Smiknor]

I just read a couple days ago that this type of hybrid could very well be impossible. I believe it was on newscientist.com, but the site is down right now so I can't check.

[KennyWolf]

I hope the scientists do this. Maybe possbilities could move on to people who are already alive, Say furries, They could (maybe) have the life they've always wanted.

The only way to do a real human-animal hybrid is an injection from a dud virus. Viruses alter cells to reproduce more viruses, viruses can also alter the dna of a creature instead. So the only way to make a human-animal hybrid would be to infect either an animal or a human with the virus, accedental embryonic growth in the lab wouldn't produce a stable organism. And before anyone asks, I am a student of genetics.

[gamonthehand]

the part at the end with the protests and such pisses me off. its always the zelots that try to seprate sicence and religion. try to say we should not try to improve our lives because its evil or wrong. it was a monk the decovered genitics and the church tought darwin. sorry to rant and if this offends then erase it. but this is to me something touchy. id love to be part cat or bird. to not be Just human. it would be a dream to have some animal atributes. anyway thats all i feel like sharing. thanks for reading if you did.

[Arthax]

Originally Posted by TrumanGrace

No, they wouldn't, serious scientists don't make history and ethics changing experiments off the cuff. In a comic book, sure, in reality, they have people watching their every move and doing something like that would have potential career ending effects.

Well, the people watching them would have to be in on it as well. I think you're putting too much trust in Humanity here. They could do it in such a way that the public never finds out about it.

Anyway, I'm not all that concerned about it since it doesn't really pose a threat to us. The people who want to stick chips in our brains are the ones we need to watch out for.

[LostHopeOfDusk]

Originally Posted by maniac626

The only way to do a real human-animal hybrid is an injection from a dud virus. Viruses alter cells to reproduce more viruses, viruses can also alter the dna of a creature instead. So the only way to make a human-animal hybrid would be to infect either an animal or a human with the virus, accedental embryonic growth in the lab wouldn't produce a stable organism. And before anyone asks, I am a student of genetics.

I don't think so, some primates share like the 98% of our DNA....

Originally Posted by LostHopeOfDusk

I don't think so, some primates share like the 98% of our DNA....

Yes but only 2% of our DNA defines humanity. And only (guesstimating here) 0.01% of that 2% defines each of our genetic code. All we need to do is discover what exactly controls each genetic trait.

Example: cat person
find genes for fur, claws, enlarged ears, and tail growth (probably unlikely to occur due to regeneration issues).
The genetic traits for each of these can be located and a virus that can create them can be made. If the traits don't exist we can create them ourselves!

Originally Posted by Arthax

Anyway, I'm not all that concerned about it since it doesn't really pose a threat to us. The people who want to stick chips in our brains are the ones we need to watch out for.

Sorry. I'm one of them.
It helped gave a man who couldn't move his body from the neck down be able to use a computer again.

[Sauerkraut]

Wow, I wasn't really expecting it to shoot off this much. But keep in mind folks, I did acknowledge the considerable unlikeliness of this happening, but I simply wanted to guage everyone's opinions on the possibilities of it, and thei opinions on if this were to happen.

Good to see such a lively discussion about this.

[Seadog Driftwood]

Originally Posted by maniac626

Sorry. I'm one of them.
It helped gave a man who couldn't move his body from the neck down be able to use a computer again.

Y'see, THIS is what so many fanatical religious people hate. When somebody who's OBVIOUSLY in desperate need of help gets help from a medical or technological advance.
Those people with their "Amish-complex" (nothing against the Amish, just their "technology is bad" beliefs) need to get a f**king grip. Sometimes people who were pretty much doomed to die, but now have a chance at life, actually WANT to LIVE.
Would you rather live thanks to a controversial new technique, or die curled up in your backwardness?

Genetics is a blossoming field. If it's playing god, then show me one, JUST ONE geneticist who can create a planet. SHOW ME ONE, then I'll be convinced.

More power to you, Maniac626.